


Being Better

by youcalledmesimon



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-14
Updated: 2017-09-14
Packaged: 2018-12-27 19:41:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12088005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/youcalledmesimon/pseuds/youcalledmesimon
Summary: 'From the minute he had stepped into their house, Draco knew that he had fucked up. But Harry just walked in, kissed Draco’s forehead, went into their bedroom and closed the door slowly. He hadn’t seemed angry, just disappointed, and that somehow was worse.'Draco knew that he had messed up and he should probably fix it.Lots of flashbacks, self-reflection and apologies. Cute Drarry at the end. Ron and Draco may be friends? I live for that bromance.~~~ = beginning/end of flashbacks.:. = scene change





	Being Better

From the minute he had stepped into their house, Draco knew that he had fucked up. But Harry just walked in, kissed Draco’s forehead, went into their bedroom and closed the door slowly. He hadn’t seemed angry, just disappointed, and that somehow was worse. 

There seemed to be some sort action of finality, and Draco decided he needed some air to reflect on tonight’s events, so he went for a walk. It was a brisk night and the wind stung when it blew across his face. He admired the night sky, even though he could barely see the stars because of all the streetlamps. He admired the way the leaves crunched under his feet; red leaves, that were brighter than the Weasley’s hair.

~~~

_ “Ugh, I don’t want to go to the Burrow.” _

_ “But I thought you liked the Weasleys!” Harry exclaimed. _

_ “Yes, well most of them. But, I still do not care for Ronald, especially after he made such rude comments about my hair,” Draco explained, pulling on a sweatshirt. _

_ “And then you made fun of his hair and his whole lineage, finally apologizing to everyone but him. So I’d say you were more than even,” Harry pointed out, as he tried to run a brush through his unruly hair before giving up completely. _

_ “Yes, but you know that my hair is the root of my insecurities and anyways I apologized to everyone else without prompting, so that must be something.” _

_ “Fine, yes. But I just wish you would get along with Ron.” _

_ “Why should I try to be nice to him when he’s nothing but rude to me?” _

_ “I’m sure Ron feels the same way you do,” Harry offered, coming up behind Draco to wrap his arms around the blond’s thin waist. “But one of you has to be the bigger person. And I can’t convince Ron to do it, because I’m not his keeper-” _

_ “Oh, but you’re mine?” Draco asked indignantly, pushing Harry away from him. _

_ “Yes, I kind of feel that I am. Your parents didn’t do the best job helping you to grow up. They weren’t in the best mindset while you were a-” _

_ “DON’T TALK ABOUT MY MOTHER LIKE THAT!” Draco screamed and stormed out of the room. Harry sighed and trailed after the drama queen.  _

_ “You of all people know that I love Narcissa and value her as a person. She just wasn’t in the right mind space while you were growing up. Fear makes people do crazy things,” Harry explained calmly, watching Draco stare angrily into the fireplace. “Like everyday, I fear that I’m going to lose you. One day you’ll wake up and realize that you don’t have to deal with the shit that I put you through, with the media, with the Weasleys, with my job. I fear that one day I’ll wake up and the spot on the bed next to mine will be empty, untouched, and I’ll never see you again.” Harry paused as Draco looked up at him teary eyed. “Just, will you please try to be nice to Ron? And if it doesn’t work out, I won’t make you go over there ever again.” _

_ Draco spoke so softly, Harry almost didn’t hear him. “You said fear makes people do crazy things. What crazy things could you possibly do?” _

_ “I’d cut off all of my other relationships. I’d cut myself off from the Weasleys. I’d quit my job. I’d stay inside, so you would never have to deal with the other people in my life. I’d let all of my other relationships die, so that you would stay, so that our relationship would stay alive.” There was a long silence before Draco finally answered. _

_ “Okay, I’ll try to be nice to him, but only for you, Harry,” Draco whispered, opening his arms to Harry. Harry rushed into them and crushed his lips against Draco’s.  _

_ “Thank you. That’s all I’m asking,” Harry whispered back with a sigh of relief. _

_ ~~~ _

‘And it had all been downhill from there.’ Draco thought sourly. He came upon a park and sat down on a bench that was overlooking a children’s playground falling back into thought. 

~~~

_ “I see you’re still with Ferret Face,” Ron offered as a way of greeting as he opened the Burrow door. _

_ “Ron,” Harry warned, and Ron held up both hands in a way to show that he was just joking. _

_ “Harry! Draco!” Hermione exclaimed as she waddled over to them. She was very well pregnant with her second child.  _

_ “Mione!” Harry greeted, with just as much enthusiasm. “How’s little Hugo?” _

_ “Just growing and growing and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.” Well, that’s not really what she had said, but that’s what Draco had heard, because he had pretty much tuned out. He spotted Ginny, drinking and listening to her mother nag her, with a passive face, and went to rescue her, but a hand grabbed his arm. _

_ “What, Malfoy? You’re not going to say hello to me?” _

_ “Hello, Ronald,” Draco responded evenly, trying to hold his tongue from saying something a lot more colorful than just hello. Draco pulled his arm away from Weasley, not rudely, but just in a way that suggested he didn’t exactly appreciate the gesture. _

_ “What? That’s it?” Ron asked bewildered. “No scathing comments about my hair, my family, or how fat my wife is but it’s nothing in comparison to how I look?” _

_ “Your hair looks fine. I like your family. And your wife is glowing. Now, Weasley, could you leave me alone? I’m trying to be civil and I figure that the best way to do that is to avoid you altogether.” _

_ “Why? Harry threatened to not fuck you anymore, if you were rude?” Ron asked. _

_ “No. It does have to do with Harry, of course. Don’t think I would be kind to you on my own account,” Draco spat back. _

_ “I didn’t realize you were so submissive, Malfoy.” _

_ Draco could realize that Weasley was taunting him, trying to get a rise out of him, because even though Draco was trying to be civil, that didn’t mean the redhead had to be. And Draco was not going to rise up to the challenge. For Harry. _

_ “Yes, well. Only for Harry.”  _

_ Ron guffawed and walked away.  _

_.:. _

_ It was a pleasant dinner. Well not completely. Ron still made snide comments, trying to get a rise out of Draco, only to receive a chorus of reprimands from others, before Draco could even open his mouth to respond.  _

_ Harry and Draco were just about to leave. They said almost all of their goodbyes, before they came upon the Granger-Weasleys. Harry hugged Hermione, Ron and Rose goodbye, and Draco gave them a nod.  _

_ “You know, Malfoy, I think that’s the nicest I’ve ever seen you be. That’s not saying much though. You were a pretty awful kid, but what can you expect with parents like yours?” Ron teased him smartly.  _

_ And that’s when Draco had snapped. He had been putting up with all the shit that the Weasel had been saying to him all night, but this was where Draco drew the line. Draco had tried his damn hardest to improve himself from when he was a cowardly, snobby, rude, elitist little boy. He knew that he wasn’t the greatest person growing up. As much as he hated to admit it, his parents weren’t the best, even his mother. But Draco had been trying so hard to be better ever since he went back for eighth year at Hogwarts. And how dare Weasley say it was all for naught! _

_ “You know, Weasley, I feel sorry for your family. Not only Hermione, who has put up with you pretty well forever, but also for letting you impregnate her. I mean the poor girl is probably scarred! And your poor children! Their father is such a disappointment! And well for the rest of your family. Lucky Ginny gets to follow after you! You’re not much of an act to follow! And Fred and George, too! They were probably praying that they wouldn’t get a little brother who outshone them, and then along you came and they thanked the Heavens that their prayer had worked. You never amounted to half of anything that the rest of your family did. And poor, sweet Molly! Wasted a perfectly good egg on you! You’re a disgrace to your ginger family, Weasley.” And with that Draco turned and flooed home. Harry arriving not a minute later.  _

~~~

And now there they were. Draco knowing that he had fucked up and Harry not reacting in the slightest. It was all so… aggravating. Looking back, Draco knew he had screwed up and that was even more frustrating. 

He knew  he could’ve been the better man for just a minute more. Maybe then he wouldn’t be sitting on a park bench in the freezing cold, and instead he would be cuddle up in Harry’s arms, enjoying the post-shag glow. 

And even if he were to fight back against Weasley, maybe he didn’t have to hit with such a low blow. From the look on everyone’s faces, he could tell he had touched on a sensitive subject. And that made him feel even more guilty. So much for being better.

So, yes, Draco knew what he had to do. And he absolutely was dreading it.

.:.

“Draco? What are you doing here?” A sleepy Hermione opened the door in a robe and fuzzy slippers with her hair even more frizzy than normal. “It’s barely 6:00 in the morning.”

“Yes, I know and I’m sorry to disturb your rest, but I just couldn’t live with myself. I need to apologize to Ronald,” Draco explained, nervously wringing his hands. 

“Oh,” Hermione exclaimed, waking up a considerable amount. Her eyes widened as she opened the door more for Draco. “Come on in. Ron’s asleep upstairs. I’ll go wake him. You can sit on the couch!” She motioned to a leathery old couch before heading up and Draco sat down apprehensively. 

A few minutes later he heard soft footsteps padding down the stairs. A confused ginger with a bad case of bedhead and a dried trail of spit on his chin appeared in the living room.

“It’s way too early in the morning for this, Malfoy,” Ron grumbled heading toward the kitchen.

“I know I just-”

“Before you say anything else,” Ron interrupted. “I’m going to need a cup of tea. Care for one?” Draco nodded, and they sat in silence while the tea was being made. When it was finally ready and Ron had a cup in his hand Draco one in his, Ron spoke. “Continue.”

“I just wanted to apologize. I felt absolutely awful for the way that I behaved last night. I shouldn’t have said all that. And I definitely didn’t mean it. I was just upset.” Draco waited anxiously for Ron to respond but he just sat taking long sips from his cup before he finally answered.

“It’s alright. I forgive you. It’s not like I was the picture of a perfect gentleman either. But most of what you said about my family is how I felt growing up. It really hurt, but I imagine you said it because I struck a chord with the comment about your parents?”

“Yeah. I know my parents weren’t good people. But how could I hate them? They birthed me and raised me, albeit not very well. I know I wasn’t a very good person growing up, but I’ve been trying to be better.”

“And you are, Malfoy. I’m sorry that I said all those shitty things to you,” Ron apologized.

“And I’m sorry that I was such a prick growing up. And that I said shitty things to you too,” Draco responded.

“Apology accepted.”

They shook hands and smiled at each other before returning to their tea. They sat in a companionable silence before Draco spoke up.

“I’m glad we’ve decided to put that all behind us. I imagine it’ll make everyone happier.”

“Especially Harry,” Ron chimed in. “Poor lad looked so stressed whenever we were in the same room.” Draco laughed, as Hermione came downstairs, Rose in tow.

“Uncle Dwaco?” Rose asked shyly.

“Hey, Rose,” Draco answered with a smile.

“Will you stay for bweakfast?” Draco glanced at Ron and Hermione who were smiling and nodding.

“Sure. Why not?”

.:.

Draco was mid-bite when the floo whooshed. Harry rushed in looking extremely frazzled and on the verge of tears.

“Hermione! Ron! Draco left last night when we went home, and he hasn’t come back! Oh, what have I done? What have I d-Draco?” Harry asked, looking beyond confused.

“Harry! Mate! Malfoy came over early this morning to apologize! We’re all good now! Isn’t that great?” Ron asked happily.

“I wouldn’t say we’re all good but we’re definitely-” Draco didn’t get to finish his sentence because he was scooped into Harry’s arms and was being kissed rather excitedly.

“Really, Harry? You couldn’t wait till later? Watch your hands, Harry! Not in front of Rose!” Hermione scolded, hitting Harry on the head with her napkin, much to Rose’s delight. “Now, sit down and eat some eggs.”

.:.

“I am the luckiest man alive. I love you so much, Draco. Please don’t worry me like that again. Oh god, I adore you.” All of this was said in between the soft kisses Harry had been placing on Draco’s face once they had flooed back home.

Draco allowed Harry to continue holding him, but gently grabbed his chin to cease the incessant kissing. “I didn’t mean to worry you, love. I realize that I had disappointed you yesterday after dinner, and I went for a walk to think, but I guess that I lost track of time. I hope you didn’t cry too much,” he teased.

“Only this morning when I woke up,” Harry replied very seriously. “But I’m glad you and Ron made up. Thank you.” 

“Anything for you, Harry.” Harry smiled brightly as Draco released his chin, and continued to kiss his face, and much, much more. 

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! If you like my writing, that's amazing, but I know it's not perfect and I'm kind of writing something a bit longer, and if you want to help me edit that, that'd be even more amazing! It's a non-magical, American high school AU crossover fic with Drarry and Snowbaz and a bunch of my other ships from the HP and Carry On worlds. So I guess just like, let me know! Once again, thanks so much! :)


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